Last Flight to L.A.

chapter twenty-seven: pride and prejudice

"If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all."

~Bambi

~~~~~~~~~

"So why does Jane get Mr. Bingley?" Ethan asked, leaning forward on his elbows.

"Because she loves him?"

"Oh," he murmured, as if it were a new concept.

Kelsey glanced at him sideways with a smile. He'd been trying to get the names right during the entire movie, and was just now getting the hang of it.

"And why would Lizzie go for that rich guy? He's such a jerk. He won't even dance with her."

"Just watch the movie, Ethan," Kelsey reminded.

Ethan settled into a contemplative silence.

Kelsey found Ethan's relationship with movies quite entertaining. His back never touched the couch; he was always leaning forward, attentively dissecting every part of the movie as if it were a lecture.

Thus, she was left relatively alone on the couch, with Roadkill snuggled up next to her with his head on her lap.

Fifteen minutes later, Ethan said, "Okay, so he's not really a jerk?"

"No."

"Good."

After Mr. Wickham and Lydia had run off together, Ethan sat bolt upright. "No way! Mr. Darcy's going to go find her, right? She can't marry that scumbag."

"Just. Watch. The movie."

"Right. Sorry."

Ethan managed to stay quiet for the rest of the movie, and when Mr. Darcy and Lizzie kissed at the end, he offered a dramatic "aww".

The credits played in the background as Ethan sat back.

"Did you like it?" Kelsey asked.

Ethan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. After a few moments, he said, "Yeah, I think so. But you wanna know who I didn't like?"

"Who?"

"Lizzie's dad."

"Mr. Bennet?"

"Yeah. He played hardcore favorites! Like, no wonder Lydia ran off, and Jane thought Mr. Bingley couldn't love her. And the other sister, the one with glasses?"

"Mary?"

He nodded emphatically. "Her. I mean, she was kinda weird and stuck up, but her dad literally told her that her piano playing sucked. But he thinks Lizzie is perfect."

Kelsey had to press her lips together to keep from laughing. "I'm glad to hear you're so passionate about it."

He shrugged and reclined back on the couch, draping an arm across her shoulders. "I'm just trying to be open-minded."

Kelsey laughed. "Right. The only reason you watched it in the first place was because we made a deal—if I played Call of Duty with you, you'd watch Pride and Prejudice with me."

"And I liked it! Sheesh."

"Just wait until we watch the 1995 version. It's even more amazing."

"Can't wait."

Kelsey snickered and nestled into his side, breathing in the faint scent of his cologne. They were quiet for a long time, lost in thought.

"Becca says people wear clothes worth millions of dollars to movie premieres," she said.